Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed that his government will reject any Israeli military or official presence in Berbera or anywhere else in the country under any circumstances. Speaking in an interview, the president accused Israel of attempting to pull the Horn of Africa into Middle East crises.
Somalia will not accept an Israeli presence on its territory under any conditions, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated during an interview. The Somali leader asserted that Israel is actively planning to establish a naval base and utilize the airport in Berbera, a critical port city situated on the Gulf of Aden coast.
Berbera lies inside Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that declared independence in 1991. While Somaliland has governed itself for more than three decades, the central government in Mogadishu maintains that the region remains an integral part of Somali sovereign territory.
Berbera Location Impacts Red Sea Shipping Security
The geographic location of Berbera gives it immense strategic importance because it sits directly across the water from Yemen and near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. This narrow maritime chokepoint connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, serving as a vital artery for international shipping.
President Mohamud linked the dispute over foreign military access to escalating regional instability across the Red Sea corridor. He accused Yemen’s Houthi movement of contributing to instability in the region and disrupting navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Somalia Rejects Israel Recognition of Somaliland
Diplomatic friction between Mogadishu and Tel Aviv intensified after Israel recognized Somaliland in December 2025, making it the first United Nations member state to do so. Somalia rejected that recognition as an unlawful violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somaliland officials have previously denied that formal negotiations for an Israeli military base are underway. In June, Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali told there was no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no negotiations over establishing a base,
though he confirmed that Israel was providing training for local military and police forces.
President Mohamud maintained that the residents of Somaliland are completely opposed to hosting an Israeli presence. He warned that Israel’s real objective in seeking a foothold in Berbera is to draw closer to the Gulf states and Iran, placing the move within the broader geopolitical context of the Greater Israel
project.
Partnerships Against Terrorism and Maritime Strife
Amid regional security pressures, the Somali leader emphasized that the United States remains his country’s strongest partner in the ongoing fight against terrorism. He added that the armed group al-Shabab holds no presence in major Somali cities, leaving no possibility of the group taking control.
President Mohamud also addressed relations with neighboring Ethiopia. He noted that in January 2024, Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on sea access, which Somalia condemned as a violation of its sovereignty.